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Johannesburg - EFF North West secretary and the party's
legislature chief whip Papiki Babuile will remain in his position for now,
despite sitting in jail for murder, the party said on Tuesday.

"We haven't had an elective conference in the North
West to re-elect someone," EFF spokesperson Fana Mokoena said.

"That's an internal matter that we are dealing with
at the moment. It came up in our meeting yesterday."

The party would make an announcement once a decision had
been made.

The Citizen on Tuesday reported that Babuile was running
the EFF's North West affairs from his prison cell.

He was jailed last year for 12 years for the murder of ANC
Dr Kenneth Kaunda regional secretary David Chika.

The newspaper reported that it had been reliably informed
that Babuile, whose annual package was just over R1m, received his December and
January salaries while in jail.

The paper was also in possession of a letter dated 14 January
from newly elected EFF secretary general Godrich Gardee in which he reportedly
instructed provincial party leader Alfred Motsi to keep the position of EFF chief
whip of the legislature vacant. The position was held by Babuile.

The ANC's North West secretary Dakota Legoete expressed
shock on Tuesday at the report that Babuile was still in his position.

"As the ANC in the North West we are shocked by this
development that a convicted murderer... is still on the party list of the EFF
and is still earning as a public representative," he said.

"This is contrary to the oath of office of any
public representative... This clearly speaks to the character of the EFF because
this is just immature, it's clear cut corruption and it cannot be encouraged in
any law abiding society."

Legoete said the ANC would raise the issue in the
provincial legislature immediately after its opening.

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